


A Song Unsung

by HickoryDox



Series: Roleplays with Hickory and Scarpath [3]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, RP, siren!sans
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-05
Updated: 2019-02-25
Packaged: 2019-10-22 17:09:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17666660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HickoryDox/pseuds/HickoryDox
Summary: Red just wanted to get away from everyone and everything, running from a past that he had no illusions of escaping. Who would have thought becoming a fisherman would change... Well, everything.(Written in RP format)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This RP isn't being played at the moment, but it's got 128 pages on docs so... There's gonna be a good few chapters of this thing. Hope you like it~
> 
> (I've got a few other RPs to post up too though, so they'll all be taking turns for updates here.)

Sans drifted as he slept, just letting the currents carry him wherever they would. He only startled awake when he was suddenly jerked in an almost harsh manner. He opened his eyes, finding himself surrounded by fish. 

 

He had been netted.

 

He tried to find the edges of the net to get himself out of it, but before he could he was being raised higher and higher. Panicked, the moment he was above water he started to sing a wordless tune.

 

He didn’t want to risk getting killed by someone who believed in the ‘killing a mermaid can grant eternal life’ myth. As much as he hated his voice and the power it held, in these cases it could save his life.

 

\----

 

The cries of the gulls. The hiss of the waves. The soft chirp of the wind chime he'd tied up near the door to his little command room. Red had to admit, this wasn't where he'd expected his life to end up. He found he couldn't complain, though. It was peaceful. Calm. A far cry from what he was used to.

 

And the job paid well too. As long as he came back with a nice haul of fish.

 

Leaning against the rail along the side of the boat, he lazily flicked his wrist, blue magic grabbing onto the winch lever to pull up his net. It had been down there long enough.

 

Most boats had to have a full crew for the trips out that he made, but thanks to his magic, he didn't have to deal with that bullshit.

 

Turning, he gazed over the side of the boat into the water, curious to see how well he did with this dip. The water churned above his net, a sign that a good number of fish were struggling just below. A smile was already curving his teeth before the first flopping bodies met the air.

 

Then he heard it. Melodious, and somewhat beautiful, but... _ Loud _ . Stars it was loud!

 

"Holy shit!" He clamped both hands over the sides of his skull and clamped his sockets shut, stumbling away from the guard rail. The boat shuddered as the winch came fully up, but the noise persisted. Groaning, he moved one hand, magic lighting up as he pulled the net over his deck and lowered it, perhaps a bit too quickly.

 

"Stars! Fuck! Shut up!" He yelled, moving forward to try to figure out what the hell he had in there that was making that god damn noise.

 

Long and glimmering, shining a deep blue, with pale, slender bones. It was a mermaid. He'd netted a fucking mermaid. His soul pounded hard for a moment, recalling tales of being dragged down to the depths by creatures who could enchant you out of your mind. Vicious and conniving. But looking at the overgrown fish, all he could see was fear. There wasn't something malicious here, as far as he could tell.

 

But damn, that noise...

 

"Ok, ok, calm down there, pal. Lemme just getcha outta there. Stop yer screamin fer a sec, yeah?" This net was made to drop down into the hull to release the fish he caught. It wasn't made to be opened while it was still over the deck. He needed to be careful how he went about this or he'd end up losing his catch all over the place.

 

\----

 

Sans cut off his song, surprised. The fisher wasn’t acting like any land dweller had before after his song. He... didn’t seem to be enchanted at all.

 

Wait... if he wasn’t enchanted, would he hurt Sans?

 

The thought struck a fresh wave of panic in him. He froze up, staring up at the fisher with wide, terrified eyes.

 

\----

 

Red sighed with relief, letting his hands fall from his skull as his shoulders slumped. “Oh thank fuck. Ok. Now lets see here…”

 

He figured talking would probably help a bit, since the poor thing in his net looked absolutely terrified. He treated it like he would an injured animal, speaking as softly as his gruff voice would allow.

 

“S’ok, pal. I’ll have ya out in just a sec. I ain’t gonna hurt ya.” Looking over the net, he discovered there just wasn’t anything for it. He was going to have to unhook at least a corner of it and he was probably going to get fish everywhere when he did. The only other options he could see were to either release the net back into the water, or dump his haul into the hull and somehow figure out how to get a fucking mermaid out of his fish cache. 

 

That or he’d have to cut a hole in his net, and that wasn’t happening. The middle road was his best bet, so he went ahead and snagged a corner of the net with his magic and went about unhooking it. It took a minute, but then he got it. And with a small cry of victory, the net fell partially open, spilling a good many fish, plus the mermaid, onto his deck.

 

“Ok, now just.. Go.” He made a little shooing motion with his hands, hoping the mermaid would be able to get to the side of the boat itself. It just needed to go either over or under the guardrail. It should be able to manage that, right? Red didn’t really want to get too close to it. He’d been known to be pretty ballsy before, but he wasn’t stupid.

 

\----

 

Sans watched the fisher closely, only relaxing when he mentioned just letting Sans go. When the net gave out, Sans tumbled to the deck with a small cry. He landed on his arm hard, sending a painful tingle through his whole body.

 

However, the land dweller spoke, and a small part of Sans’ fear re-awakened. He pulled himself to the edge of the boat awkwardly, the pain in his arm preventing him from using the normal waddle. He ducked under the guardrail, and was back in the water only a few moments later.

 

He swam a decent bit away from the ship before turning to investigate his arm.

 

It wasn’t broken, at least. However, getting his radius to line back up was going to be painful.

 

Considering the land dweller was immune to his song, though, Sans felt a dislocated bone wasn’t the worst he could have ended up with.

 

Despite knowing that fixing his arm sooner would help heal faster, Sans wanted to put it off even just a little bit. He settled on watching the boat for a little while. It was only when it drew too close to the dock that Sans went in a different direction.

 

\----

 

Red watched as the creature hobbled it’s way off of his boat a little awkwardly. Had he hurt it? His soul twinged with a bit of guilt. Hopefully, that wouldn’t make it too hard for the poor thing to hunt and survive… But mermaids were supposed to travel in pods or packs or whatever, right? It should have buddies to help it, right? He hoped so…

 

It was over the side of the boat in short order. Well. That had been… A little more excitement than he’d been expecting that day…

 

He cast his eyes over his deck and groaned in dismay. There were fish flopping all over the place, many of which had gone over the side of the boat like the mermaid had. Dammit… This was a lot more work than he usually liked to deal with.

 

But then, any work was more work than he would like to deal with…

 

By the time he’d gotten the mess mostly cleaned up and his catch safely stored in his hull, he was ready to call it a day. So he tromped his tired ass to the control room and started the boat towards the docks. He’d have to make sure to try a different spot tomorrow… Or maybe the next day, depending on how much rest he managed that night. He wouldn’t be surprised if that song haunted his dreams…

 

\----

 

Sans’ arm was pretty sore, even after he’d gotten some rest in. It made for... interesting hunting, at least. He normally grabbed with one hand and killed with the other, but either action proved to be a bit too painful.

 

Sans lost track of the number of fish that slipped between his fingers before he finally managed to catch one.

 

If only his pride wasn’t full of egotistical killers who wouldn’t hesitate to lure sailors onto rocks just to get some easy fish.

 

It was going to be a long few days.  _ Hungry _ long days, ans Sans’ stomach didn’t hesitate to remind him of.

 

Even while expending more energy hunting than usual, Sans couldn’t help but think of the land dweller. He’d known that there were some who were immune to a siren’s voice, but he’d never expected to encounter one. And a skeleton, to boot!

 

... It’d be nice to know at least one person who didn’t get effected by his voice. Even plain mermaids, whose voices weren’t ‘blessed’ were affected, as Sans had been sad to learn.

 

Despite thinking it unlikely that he’d ever see the boat again, Sans was shocked to see it in the distance while he was eating on a nice, rounded rock that peaked above the water.

 

It would be stupid to approach the boat. Too many risks. But, stupid fish as he was, Sans couldn’t resist the temptation. Even when he finished his food, the boat was still within sight.

 

Sans dove into the water, swimming closer to the boat. He stayed a fair distance away, not wanting to risk getting caught in the net again. He peeked his head above the water, wanting to catch a glimpse of the fisher.

 

\----

 

The next time Red went out on the water, he had to go a little further than usual. His little trawler was made more for the shallower coves and bays, not so much out on open water. And given how many other fishermen liked the little bay he usually fished in, there were often times when he had to venture further down the coast or even a little further out to sea. 

 

Today he’d gone a few hours down the coast, just outside of a small cove that he liked to visit from time to time. Most people avoided it, since it was fairly close to a little reef that crept just under the waves. It was dangerous sailing if you didn’t know what you were doing. Thankfully, Red had been at this for a while now, so he didn’t mind taking the risk. Especially when it meant getting away from everyone else.

 

As he lowered his net, he couldn’t help thinking about the somewhat ‘special’ fish he’d caught the other day. He wondered how it was doing. If it had healed yet or if the injury had been worse than he’d thought. It would be a real shame if the thing died, especially if it was because of Red… It had been so pretty…

 

He shook his head. He needed to stop thinking about it. It wasn’t like he’d ever see it ag-

 

He was leaning against his rail again, staring off at the water as he thought. And as if his thoughts had summoned it, there it was. A skull poking over the waves. It was looking at him…

 

He froze, staring at the wide eye lights of the mermaid he was pretty sure had been in his net the other day. Was it… Had it followed him? 

 

\----

 

Sans let out a small eep when he met the eyes of the fisher, ducking his head under the water shyly. Of course, by doing that he saw the net that was billowed under the small ship.

 

Right. The fisher probably wouldn’t be glad to see Sans anyways, since he’d surely lost a decent amount of fish to let Sans loose.

 

... But maybe Sans could make it up to him?

 

Idea setting in, Sans took off. He located a school of plain fish fairly easily, and set in to his self-appointed task. A few loud movements were enough to startle the fish in the direction Sans had intended. He chased them the distance back to the boat. Right into the net.

 

Sans was careful not to get tangled in the net himself. 

 

He pulled back some to a safer distance, and poked his head back above the water with a proud grin.

 

\----

 

The mermaid’s skull dipped back under the waves. Red stared after it for a little longer, eye lights roaming over the water in search of a sign that the creature was still there, but he found nothing. Haltingly, he moved away from the rail. Maybe… Maybe he should try a different spot. He didn’t want to end up catching it again. He’d lost enough fish the last time.

 

So, even though he’d just put his net down, he went to haul it up.

 

He hadn’t been expecting anything. Maybe a few stray fish or crabs or the like. He went to watch the water as he pulled it up, a habit by now. And as he did, that pearly white skull popped up out of the sea again.

 

Red jerked when he saw it, closer than ever and beaming up at him with a smile that actually had his face warming a bit.

 

“Uhh…” 

 

Then he noticed the water churning over his net. His sockets widened as he watched those first few silver bodies breach the surface of the water. His net was full… His… His net was fucking  _ full. _ What?! That… That kind of thing just didn’t happen! He’d only had it down there for a short time!

 

His gaze jerked back to the mermaid and that smile. As he took it in again, he saw how proud it was, how smug. 

 

“You uh… did you…” His finger pointed, indicating the mermaid and then the full net that had just finished coming up.

 

\----

 

The face the fisher made was hilarious. Sans’ borderline smug grin grew wider, and the words sent him laughing. He nodded, then remembering that Red was immune to his voice, spoke. “Yup! One fish herder right here!”

 

His grin faded just a small bit, remembering why he’d done it. He clutched at his injured arm. “Figured I’d, uh, make up for making you lose so much of your catch before.”

 

\----

 

It spoke! It-... No, _ he,  _ the mermaid, he could talk. Red was a little taken aback by that. So much so that it took a moment for him to process what had actually been said.

 

He sputtered, a little frown creasing his brow. “You… I don’t need-... Ya didn’t have ta do that!”

 

It wasn’t like he couldn’t take care of himself! And it wasn’t like the mermaid had done anything wrong! He’d just been caught. There wasn’t anything to make up for! Red was the one who’d cast the net. Who’d hauled the mermaid onto his boat. Who’d made the decision to give up part of his catch so he could let the mermaid go. Red was the one who’d hurt-...

 

His eyes narrowed in on the way the mermaid clutched at his arm. “What’s wrong with yer arm?”

 

\----

 

Sans looked away, slightly ashamed. “Dislocated it. It’s not a big deal, just a bit sore.”

 

Sore being a bit of an understatement. The bone held a nasty bruise, and was only sore when he didn’t move it. When he moved it, it went from just past annoyingly sore to really painful.

 

But he could still hunt, so it wasn’t a big deal.

 

\----

 

Red winced. He was well aware of what that kind of thing felt like. But it shouldn’t still be bothering the mermaid if it had been properly taken care of right away…

 

“Did ya set it?” He asked, suspicion lacing his voice. 

 

\----

 

Sans blushed slightly, looking away. “Y-yeah.”  _ ‘Just not as soon as I should have.’ _

 

Sans didn’t say the second sentence out loud, but the tone of his voice probably gave him away.

 

\----

 

“And it’s still hurtin ya?” Concern laced his voice and he cursed himself for it. Damn his bleeding heart. Damn his guilt. He shouldn’t fucking care. He’d caught a mermaid. He’d let it go. End of story, right? 

 

Except the damn thing was back in front of him now, talking to him, hurt because of something Red had done…

 

“Are… Have ya been able ta hunt ok?” Why was he asking? It wasn’t any of his business! 

 

\----

 

Sans couldn’t meet the gaze of the fisher, feeling not unlike a child being scolded. “I can hunt. It’s not that bad.”

 

He didn’t want to trouble the fisher. So instead of admitting the trouble he’d been having, he played it off. It wasn’t technically a lie, anyways. He had been able to catch a few small fish, and had choked down some seaweed despite the awful taste.

 

He was fine!

 

...Hungry, but fine...

 

\----

 

One didn’t have to have Red’s ability to read faces to tell that was a lie. Mostly at least. Red frowned a little more. So not only had he hurt the mermaid, but he was  _ still _ hurting him… It turned Red’s gut to think about it. It was bad enough thinking he might have hurt an animal like that, but obviously the mermaid was a lot more than that. He was just like any other monster.

 

He eyed the full net of fish thoughtfully, then looked back down to the mermaid. “Ya didn’t owe me shit. I caught ya. I let ya go. It was my own damn choice so my losses are on me. So… Way I see it. Half a’ these fish here’re yers.” He wasn’t sure how much a mermaid was supposed to eat, but surely it wasn’t enough to cut into his bottom line too much. Besides, it wouldn’t be fair to profit off of something that someone else had done for him. 

 

\----

 

Sans’ gaze snapped up to the land dweller. “I-I was the one who decided to take a nap in a current, despite being so close to land.”

 

While he wasn’t sure he’d earned it though, Sans was really hungry. Too hungry to pass up food. “A-anyways, I only need one or two fish that size per day. They’re larger than I can usually catch on my own. Hands are too small to kill them without a rock, which ruins the taste.”

 

\----

 

“Fine, whatever. Even if my losses  _ were _ yer fault, which they wasn’t, then ya still paid me back more’n ya needed to. Lemme feed ya a few days. Or till yer arm’s feelin better. Then we’ll be square and ya can leave me alone. Sound good?” 

 

He was already moving over to the net, trying to work out the best way to get a few of the fish down to the mermaid without having to go down there himself to hand them off. The side of his boat was a little too high to comfortably reach down and just hand them over…

 

\----

 

The offer brought a couple tears to Sans’ eyes. Not having to feed himself with his arm like it was would be such a relief. He could focus more of his energy on healing, instead wasting it on getting small fish that didn’t even help his hunger. His voice shook with gratitude. “Deal.”

 

He noticed the look Red was giving the net. “If you just kill it before tossing it down, I can get it.”

 

\----

 

He pulled the net over the deck, moving it to the opening where he usually dumped them. He lowered it just far enough to be able to reach a hand in and grab a good sized fish.

 

“Gotcha.” He called down. That sounded like the best option. He didn’t much like the idea of killing something himself, but there wasn’t much for it. Forming a small bone, sharp along one edge, he held it to the fish. He gave a little apology, before applying a quick pressure and cutting through the meat and spine just behind the little thing’s skull.

 

Blood spilled over his hand, making him feel a little sick. He was quick to toss it down to the mermaid. 

 

“Do ya need another? Or is that good fer now?” He grabbed up a bottle of water from a small table next to a chair he sometimes liked to lounge around in on the slow days and poured it over his hand, washing away the blood.

 

\----

 

Sans was quick to grab the fish the moment it was in his reach. “It’s good. Thank you!”

 

Sans nearly bit into it then and there, but after noticing the face Red had made while killing it, he figured it might be a bit insensitive. Many mermaids were hesitant to make their first few kills. Sans had been for quite a while. He found it easier to just break the spine of a fish, rather than deal with the blood spilling messily.

 

And Red wasn’t the type of person who’d have to kill on a regular basis. He had every right to be squeamish.

 

But Sans really was hungry. “I’ll leave you be for now then.”

 

\----

 

“Sure.” Red called, dismissively. He pointedly wasn’t looking into the water anymore, not eager to see the red spread in the water. “I gotta head back now that my cache is full, but I’ll be back here t’morrow.”

 

He tried to say it casually, like he didn’t really care. But he couldn’t help but feel a little gratified that he would be able to help undo the hurt he’d inflicted. It was small, barely anything, really, but it was still something. He’d hurt the mermaid, and now he was being allowed to make up for that. It felt nice.

 

\----

 

Sans smiled, happy at the thought. He’d get to see the person who he was actually able to talk to again. “See you tomorrow.”

 

Sans realized he didn’t even know the name of the other skeleton. Or had told him his own. “By the way, the name’s Sans. It’s nice to meet’cha.”

 

\----

 

He paused as he was opening his net to drop the fish from his net into his hold. He hadn’t planned on asking for a name. Exchanging names meant making some sort of connection. Becoming actual acquaintances. The whole point of moving out to this remote fishing town was to avoid things like that… He hadn’t even given anyone in town his real name…

 

“Call me Red.” It would be ok, right? It wasn’t like Sans was going to go around town spreading his name…

 

He finished offloading his fish, then made his way to the helm so he could start up his boat and get going. Sans had a way of making Red do stupid things, it seemed. He wondered if that was part of the ‘enchanting’ thing he’d heard sirens did. It certainly would explain things. Offering to feed Sans, offering to come back to the same place more than one day in a row, giving out his actual name… Yeah. He was being fucking stupid…

 

\----

 

“Bye, Red.” Sans said quietly, probably too quiet for Red to even hear. He turned away, swimming back to the rock he had been on before he saw Red.

 

Stars. He’d had a conversation with someone who wasn’t another siren. Something more than people fawning over him at just a word.

 

The whole time he ate, Sans had a smile on his face. Even when he found a nice niche in the rock to sleep in, his smile stayed.

 

He didn’t stray far from the rock the next day, just waiting for Red.


	2. Chapter 2

He didn’t sleep very well that night, images of his hands stained with blood haunting his dreams. He ended up waking early the next day. Since he’d come back into port with so much time to spare the day before, he’d been able to get a lot done in town. So today, he was able to go straight for his boat and set back out.

 

Sailing away from the dock, it was like a weight was lifted from his shoulders. Getting away from the town, away from the people… being able to know he didn’t have to be looking over his shoulder every minute… It felt like he was free. So even though he had bags under his eyes and he was yawning up a storm, he felt pretty good. 

 

Maybe he should consider getting a bigger boat… Going out for the longer trips…

 

About an hour later, the sun just starting to color the water, he pulled into the position he’d been in just the day before. He scanned the water for Sans, but figured the guy probably wouldn’t be out just yet. Red went to get the fish ready anyway. He’d kept two from yesterday, putting them into a little cooler with water. They were sluggish when he opened the cooler to look at them. He had a towel at the ready too, black so he wouldn’t be able to see the blood soak into it.

 

\----

 

When Sans woke and made his way to the surface of the water, he was overjoyed to see that Red was already there. He swum over quickly, only slowing down so he didn’t get caught in the net again.

 

Red had actually come back. He was immune to Sans’ voice, yet he still came back.

 

He popped his head above the water with a large grin. “Hi Red!”

 

\----

 

He’d brought a knife this time too. One of those big hunting knives that didn’t do the folding thing. He was just pulling it out of it’s leather sheath, intending to get the fish dead and ready, when a voice called to him from the water, startling him. He jerked and fumbled the knife. He almost tried to catch it, but jerked his hands back at the last second, letting the blade clatter noisily to the deck.

 

His soul pounded for a moment before he looked over the railing to see Sans. “Don’t fuckin do that! I nearly cut my damn arm off!” An exaggeration? Maybe. But his magic was pumping too hard right now for him to give a damn.

 

\----

 

Sans’ grin faltered at the scolding. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you.”

 

Stars, two seconds in and Sans was already messing up. He dropped his gaze sadly.

 

_ ‘Come on Sans! Don’t make him send you away!’ _

 

\----

 

Sans seemed to just deflate, and as he did, so did Red’s anger. A twinge of guilt settled into his soul, making itself comfy alongside all of the other things he had to feel like shit about, making him grumble a little as he leaned down to retrieve the knife he’d dropped.

 

“Yer out here earlier than I thought ya’d be.” He called down, an attempt at moving on from his little social misstep. “Hungry?” It was the only thing he could think of that would have had the little mer so eager to see him. He hadn’t even been moored for more than a few minutes.

 

\----

 

Sans gave a small, embarrassed blush. “O-oh, I just, uh, wanted to say hi? Don’t get to talk to many people.”

 

_ ‘Or any people. Not without them going braindead.’ _

 

\----

 

Red’s face colored a little, but his brow creased in somewhat confused skepticism. “Huh? But don’cha got, uh…” His eyes flicked to the open expanse of water, wondering if Sans had others of his kind to talk to. He could have sworn mermaids were one of those creatures that lived in groups. It would probably be insensitive to follow that line of questioning though. Especially if Sans actually didn’t have anyone…

 

He huffed a little, clicking his teeth as he averted his eyes. “Well, ya coulda picked someone better… I ain’t exactly the social type.”

 

Feeling a little uncomfortable now, he decided to get Sans his fish and at least get that bit out of the way. It had been fairly early still in the day when he’d given Sans a fish yesterday. If he really was having trouble hunting then it was possible the mer hadn’t eaten since then. He was bound to be hungry by now.

 

So Red snatched up one of the lethargic fish, gripped it with the towel, then killed it quickly and efficiently like he had the day before. This time the towel kept his hands from becoming too bloody and he didn’t have to deal with the warm, vital splash of it on one of his attacks. Easy.

 

“Heads up.” He turned back to the railing, getting Sans’ attention before he tossed the fish down.

 

\----

 

Sans’ mood sunk even lower at hearing that Red ‘wasn’t a social person.’ Of course the first person Sans could actually talk with didn’t really want him around.

 

Red was probably only putting up with him because he felt bad for him.

 

Sans moved so his face was mostly underwater, hoping it might mask the tears that were welling in his eyes. Red had turned back to the ship, helping him in that endeavor.

 

Then Red was tossing a fish down. Sans grabbed it quickly. 

 

“Thank you.” Sans’ voice was quiet, quiet enough that Red could probably only barely hear him. He took a deep breath, then spoke louder. “Thanks Red. I- I guess I’ll leave you alone then.”

 

\----

 

Disappointment flared in his soul and he scowled at himself for the reaction. It would be better if Sans didn’t hang around. It would probably be better for Sans too… But a part of him had actually sort of… Enjoyed having someone around. Someone who wasn’t asking more of him than his company and a few measly fish. 

 

But with the look that was on Sans’ face now, it seemed like something Red had said or done had hurt him. That was normal. Red wasn’t a pleasant monster to deal with and he was well aware of that. And Sans seemed… Shy. Timid. Scared. All things that Red would only make worse every time he opened his mouth.

 

His soul felt heavy. 

 

“Y-yeah… A’right… I uh… I got another fish here fer ya if you uh… Wanna come by later fer it. I’ll be in the area…” He couldn’t get attached. It didn’t matter. He’d make up for the wrongs he’d done then they’d both go their own separate ways and everything would be fine.

 

\----

 

Sans gave a jerky nod before swimming away. He didn’t trust his voice in that moment.

 

He got to the rock he’d sunbathed on before, and set the fish down next to him. He’d eat it in a bit. He wasn’t feeling particularly hungry.

 

Tears stung at his eyes, despite how hard he tried to keep them back. Remembering what Red had said was enough to draw out a small sob.

 

Stars, he felt like a child who’d had their favorite toy taken away. Crying because someone might not really like him.

 

Even if that someone could actually have a conversation with him.

 

It didn’t matter. He’d just get the fish from Red for as long as he could, then leave Red alone. No point being greedy. Besides, wasn’t it a good thing Red didn’t like him? It just proved that he really wasn’t bugged by Sans’ voice.

 

Maybe Sans was just bad at making friends. Just because he didn’t like killing like his pride did, didn’t mean he still hadn’t learned most everything he knew about social interactions from them. He’d had no other meaningful interactions since not long after he’d left.

 

The thought didn’t help any, and Sans was left wiping at his eyes as more tears fell.

 

\----

 

He’d kept to the area, as he’d said he would, but the fishing wasn’t great today. It was like everything that had been available had already been driven into his net yesterday. That or they were avoiding the area due to the threat of a mermaid in the area… Red couldn’t be sure. He also, however, didn’t really care. He’d already met his quota for the month by a good bit. He normally didn’t get a haul as good as he had yesterday.

 

That was also fine though. He wasn’t in this for the money. He liked the solitude. The silence. The space. He liked getting away from society and not having to be afraid for a while.

 

But there was a bit of a wrench being thrown into the works now, wasn’t there… He hadn’t expected to meet anyone out here. Let alone meet someone who wanted to spend time with him. He didn’t know what to do about it. Wasn’t sure how to feel. He wanted to be alone, but… 

 

He sighed. It wasn’t like Sans would want to hang around after learning what kind of person Red was anyway. He was an asshole. Shy people didn’t become friends with assholes.

 

He’d decided to spend the whole day on the water, whether he caught anything or not. He sat himself in one of his favorite places, at the edge of the boat with his arms over the lower rail where he could pillow his face on them. It let the sea wind brush against his face, salty and cool and a little damp. The gulls and the waves made for an excellent lullaby and before long, he’d nodded off.

 

\----

 

Sans ate his fish eventually, and ended up asleep on the rock he’d been on. When he woke up from his impromptu nap, only the tip of his tail was in the water, and the rest of him felt baked. The spray from the sea wasn’t enough to protect him from the open air.

 

Sans dove into the water with a groan. He felt awful. His sockets ached from all the crying earlier, his arm was hurting more than before due to its time in the sun, and he was hungry.

 

What a lovely way to wake up.

 

Noticing the position of the sun, Sans figured he’d been out for a good couple hours. Still not quite long enough to warrant going back to bug Red again.

 

He figured he could distract himself by looking for a good patch of seabed or even a small cave to nest in. He’d be here for at least a few days while his arm healed, so might as well prepare for it.

 

When he found a cute little cave, he was surprised that it was right under his new favorite sunbathing rock. It also- it also had a little pocket of air that was supported by a few holes in the rock.

 

It was perfect! Sans was giddy at the find, and spent another few hours finding the softest sand he could to line the bottom of the cave. He also took a few pretty rocks to give it a more lived in look.

 

When he made his way back over to Red, Sans had a large grin on his face. He decided that instead of mourning the fact that his interactions with Red would come to an end when his arm healed, he’d just enjoy what he could get.

 

Red seemed to be asleep, so Sans decided to just let him keep sleeping. He floated on his back lazily, just watching the birds flying above the water.

 

\----

 

He woke slowly, languidly, in a way he’d never known he could wake up before coming here and discovering the sea. The sun shone down on him, warm and comfortable. The sea breeze tugged gently at his coat and the fur of his hood, playful and sweet. There was a bit of a crick in his neck from the position he’d fallen asleep in, but it was familiar enough to ignore.

 

He cracked his eyes open, taking in the sparkle of light upon the waves. And then froze, eyes widening when he saw Sans, drifting atop the water, a deep blue gemstone set in a shining dark backdrop.

 

How long had he been there? How long had he just been hanging out while Red was sleeping? His face flushed brightly, feeling vulnerable under that thought.

 

“Uh… H-hey. Hi. H-how long’ve ya been there?...” he tried not to let his tone sound accusing. He tried very hard. But he wasn’t sure how well he managed it.

 

\----

 

Sans jolted when Red spoke. He’d been half asleep from just floating like that. “Oh! Uh, not that long. Just didn’t wanna wake you.”

 

Sans wilted slightly, realizing Red might have been uncomfortable or something knowing that Sans had just floated near where he was sleeping. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to upset you.”

 

\----

 

He covered his burning face with both hands and took a breath. He was barking when he didn’t need to again, snapping at someone who didn’t deserve it. He hadn’t meant to, but that was how he was. This was exactly why he didn’t talk to people. Either he pissed them off or he hurt them and neither of those things ended in a good way. This was why he liked being alone. This was why he liked the ocean so much. The fucking lack of people.

 

He waited until his face had cooled before he let his hands back down with a sigh. A little tiredly, he hauled himself to his feet. “Don’t worry bout it. Sorry fer makin ya wait. Yer hungry again, right?”

 

He’d told Sans to come back when he was hungry and he was back. So that was the logical conclusion to come to, right? So Red made his way over to the cooler where the second fish waited for him and went about killing it to toss it down to the mer.

 

\----

 

Sans’ shoulders slumped when Red went straight to give him the fish. There went his excuse to be there. 

 

How did a person make friends, anyways? If he knew the answer to that question, maybe Sans could do better than he was now.

 

Sans held his arm, fidgeting slightly as he tried to come up with something to say.  _ ‘Stars, why does this have to be so hard?’ _

 

\----

 

Fish freshly dead, Red went to the side of the boat where Sans was waiting. Before he tossed the fish down, however, he noticed the way Sans was holding his arm again, looking nervous and a little down. Red frowned.

 

“Yer arm givin ya trouble?” The way Sans was holding himself, he did look a little uncomfortable. Was he in pain? He hadn’t looked like that when he’d just been drifting on the waves, seeming half asleep, but maybe it was a pain that had been more or less ignorable until Sans moved…

 

\----

 

Sans jumped slightly when Red spoke, not having noticed that he’d come back over. “O-oh, no, that’s not- I’m just-”

 

Sans took a deep breath, composing himself. “My arm isn’t bugging me, I was just thinking about something.”

 

\----

 

_ Don’t ask. It’s none of your business. It doesn’t matter what put that look on Sans’ face.  _ “Really? What about? Looked like it was gettin ya down.”

 

_ Dammit. Why do ya gotta be like this? Ya know it’s just gonna end badly! _ But he hadn’t been able to help himself. Seeing that sad look on Sans’ face, like someone had taken something from him that he really liked… It didn’t seem right to just leave it be. Red knew he wasn’t the sort of person who others opened up to, but he couldn’t help but offer anyway. 

 

\----

 

_ ‘What do I say? Do I actually tell him? Ack!’ _ Sans panicked internally for a moment, before just opening his mouth to say what was already on his mind.

 

“Do you... Do you want to be friends, Red?” Sans blushed slightly, looking down so he wouldn’t have to see Red’s expression if he shot Sans down.

 

\----

 

Red gaped, a hint of color warming his face. Red had been nothing but unpleasant so far and Sans still wanted to-... He clicked his teeth, jaw tightening.

 

“What the hell? Every time ya come over here yer mood dips lower’n the fuckin ocean. Ya obviously don’t like spendin time with me. What the hell’re ya thinkin askin ta do it more?!” He didn’t get it. Was Sans some kind of masochist or something?

 

\----

 

_ ‘Well he didn’t say no?’ _

 

Sure, Red didn’t seem to be all that enthused with the idea, but he didn’t say that he didn’t want to be friends. At least, that’s what Sans was going to take from it.

 

He gave Red a small smile. “But I  _ do _ like spending time with you, Red. I’m just sad that you seem to want me to leave when I’d still like to talk more.”

 

\----

 

Red stared, gritting his teeth and holding the dead fish tight enough that his claws pierced the scales. That-… But-… But Red was a dick! Why would-...

 

“I ain’t the kinda person that makes a good friend…” He muttered, grasping at straws now. If the only thing he’d been doing to make Sans sad was… Was sending Sans away… Then everything else had been fine? The way Red growled too much, Swore too much, snapped his words and jumped to stupid conclusions… Those things hadn’t been what hurt Sans? It was the fact that Red wanted to be alone? The hell kind of person puts up with that kind of bullshit?

 

\----

 

Sans gave a small chuckle. He didn’t fully buy that. “Says the guy who was willing to give up fish because he had accidently hurt me.”

 

Sans wasn’t fully referring to the fish Red was giving him directly. Sans had noticed how few fish were actually in the area, and Red’s mostly empty net was telling. Most fishers would probably have moved on by that point.

 

\----

 

“S’just fish…” He grumbled, face coloring a bit again, his gaze focussed on the fish in his hands. He noticed how his claws were starting to tear up the scales on it’s side and quickly eased his grip. Awkwardly, he held it over the guardrail.

 

“Here.” He waited until Sans looked ready to catch, then tossed the fish down to the mermaid. He supposed fish probably meant a little more to a creature like Sans. For Red, they were just a way to make money. A way to make a living. But for a mermaid, fish were their means to live period. And apparently, they weren’t incredibly easy to catch.

 

\----

 

“Well, since I refuse to use my voice to make people give me food, fish is a main part of my diet.” Perhaps a bit of a wisecrack answer, made clear by Sans’ grin.

 

In the years since he’d left his pride, Sans had to learn to fish by himself. He wasn’t great at it, and at first had mostly survived on seaweed and the like. There were times he was tempted to go back to the more typical siren lifestyle.

 

But no. The promise of bread and other land dweller foods wasn’t worth killing for.

 

\----

 

Red paused, suddenly reminded just what kind of creature he was talking to. He’d been thinking ‘mermaid’ like Sans was just some sweet little fish person, but he was a siren, wasn’t he. He’d heard the noise Sans had made when Red caught him. But had that been an actual song? Or just some kind of defensive reaction? It hadn’t really done much besides give Red a headache… Or at least that’s what he thought? He didn’t think he’d been acting outside the norm…

 

“So uh… Y’can really do that kinda shit, then? Hypnotize I mean…” It was an unsettling thought… Sans said he didn’t do that, but how much trust could Red afford to give something like Sans?

 

\----

 

Sans’ soul sunk. Did... Did Red think he was doing that to him? That it was Sans’ choice?

 

“It’s not- it’s not an active decision I can make. I normally try to avoid people because of it. You’re the first person outside of my pride who’s been immune. You’re... you’re the first person who’s actually held a conversation with me since I left them. Everyone else, even normal mer, fall head over tail for either me or my voice.”

 

And Stars did Sans hate it. 

 

\----

 

Ah. So that was why. 

 

He figured he could probably trust what Sans was saying. If his voice just automatically did its thing and made people fall in love with him to make them do what he wanted… Well, Red definitely didn’t feel like he’d do anything Sans asked of him. He still felt like he could say no if he wanted to. And he was pretty sure he’d been doing things Sans didn’t want him to as well. And if Sans really hated the way his voice affected people so much…

 

And Red was immune. Sans  _ could _ talk to Red. So he wanted to. Somehow it felt a little better, knowing. Sans wasn’t sticking around because he liked being around Red. He was sticking around because he could finally talk to someone. It didn’t matter if that person wasn’t a great conversation partner, because the options were too slim to be picky.

 

“Heh. Guess ya must be pretty desperate then. ‘Splains why yer wantin ta hang around I guess. A’right. I’ll bite.” He settled down on the edge of the boat and propped his arms on the rail, similar to how he’d been sleeping earlier. “So what’cha wanna talk about then?”

 

\----

 

Sans blushed, giving a nervous chuckle. “Well, now that you ask, I can’t think of anything.”

 

And maybe that was also partially because Red believed him. And was actually willing to be his friend.

 

Sans was making a friend!

 

The thought brought a wide, happy smile to Sans’ face. A friend!

 

\----

 

Stars he looked so happy… No one should be that happy just to spend time with Red. His soul did a weird little jumping thing in his chest and he had to look away. 

 

“Ya’d think with all the time ya spend not talkin, ya’d have a few topics saved up.” He was trying to will away the warmth on his face. He wasn’t sure if he was doing a very good job. He didn’t think he was exactly head over heels for Sans, but the little siren was certainly damn cute.

 

\----

 

Sans hummed, trying to remember what he’d wanted to do if he ever found someone immune or another siren who didn’t kill because it was easier than hunting. “Yeah. I just can’t remember any of it now. Too excited!”

 

Sans wiggled slightly in the water, full of energy. 

 

\----

 

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Sans fucking wiggle and felt like he needed to punch something. This interaction was not going at all how he expected. He wasn’t sure if he liked it. It was making his soul feel weird and light and he was starting to feel a little too happy. He almost would have assumed Sans was using that magical hypnosis love crap on him, but Sans had said that if he  _ could _ use it on Red, then it would have taken affect that first day. So it couldn’t be that.

 

Maybe it was just his nerves acting up. Or maybe he’d been a little lonely himself and was actually, sort of, enjoying this… He couldn’t be sure. It wasn’t a feeling he’d felt before.

 

“Well uh.. Wh-what d’ya like ta do fer fun? Or do ya just do no-fin all day?” He almost wanted to smack himself. Even he thought that joke was bad. He started to sweat a little. He hadn’t had to talk to another person for any extended amount of time in forever. It figured he’d bomb his first conversation after all that time…

 

\----

 

Sans opened his mouth to respond when he realized the play on words. A small laugh bubbled out of him, before he was practically roaring with it. “N-nofin. Pff, nofin.”

 

He was laughing so hard that tears formed in the corners of his sockets. It took him awhile to get himself back under some sort of control.

 

\----

 

He looked. He shouldn’t have looked. But Sans was laughing and it was deep and free and heartfelt. It was one of the most beautiful things Red had ever heard and it was because of some stupid fish pun that he’d rattled off without thinking. Sans laughed like it was unfamiliar to him. Like he’d never had a reason to before. And it made it sound just so fucking natural and pure…

 

Red’s soul was doing that weird jumping thing again and it was enough to make him wonder if maybe he was getting sick. He couldn’t help smiling as well, though, Sans’ laugh proving to be infectious in its humor. He let out a few of his own chuckles.

 

“Heh. I sea ya have a real sense a humor there. S’pose ya’d like me ta tail a few more?”

 

\----

 

Sans was only just getting himself under control! It wasn’t fair for Red to dump another two on him.

 

...He’d never stop laughing at this rate. His sides were already hurting. He tried to say  _ something _ in response, but it just dissolved into more laughter.

 

\----

 

He could really get used to that sound. Shit… He’d told himself he wouldn’t get attached… This was already a lot more than he’d bargained for. But damn if he didn’t want to keep going. So he rattled off a few more jokes, enjoying Sans’ laughter after each one. And when he got tired of puns, he moved on to more general jokes. He didn’t figure Sans would appreciate knock knock jokes, since he wasn’t sure merfolk would need doors for anything, but he had plenty of others he could pull out.

 

“What did the mollusk say t’the fish?” He waited to be prompted, then continued, “Nothin. He clammed up.”

 

He chuckled when he was rewarded with another laugh. “Heh. Ya’d think ya never heard a joke b’fore.”

 

\----

 

Sans practically wheezed, trying to stop the last few chuckles that slipped out. “F-family didn’t like ‘em. R-rarely heard t-them.”

 

‘Didn’t like’ being an understatement. When Sans would tell any of the few crappy jokes he came up with, he’d get a smack or told to just practice his songs.

 

Being the siren with the most potent voice in his pride made Sans their favorite. He was expected to be perfect, to use his voice to draw larger ships and provide for the whole freaking tribe.

 

No place for jokes, not when he could be practicing his songs.

 

\----

 

Red winced. Family was a bit of a sore spot for him. It seemed like it probably wouldn’t be a great topic for Sans either. So he decided to steer clear of it.

 

“Well, s’been a while since I had any kinda audience. M’happy ta fish a few jokes up fer ya any time ya want.” The offer was out before he could even think about it. He couldn’t find it in him to regret it, though. Sans wasn’t-... He was a safe person to talk to. He obviously didn’t have any way of telling the people Red didn’t want knowing where he was. Given the thing with the siren’s voice, it wasn’t likely it would matter even if the wrong sort of person did manage to talk to Sans.

 

So it was fine… Right?...

 

\----

 

Sans had to take deep breaths to avoid breaking out in laughter again. “Okay okay, but if you keep going now, my sides’ll fall off from laughing too much. I’m in pain here!”

 

Sans was only half joking. His sides and chest were starting to ache from all the laughter. His face was flushed blue.

 

\----

 

“Heh. Sorry.” And he was, mostly. He supposed he’d been having too much of a good time just making Sans laugh. It was nice, really fucking nice, to be able to make someone smile for once. And getting Sans, who seemed so unaccustomed to laughter, to let that melodious sound out… Well, he’d just gotten kinda caught up in it.

 

And now that he paused to look, he realised the sun was getting pretty low. Just how long had he spent telling jokes and listening to a siren laugh? The sky was starting to get dark and, when he looked towards the shore, he could see a good many lights from the nearby town.

 

“Shit. S’gettin late. Sorry, pal, but I think I gotta head in.” And wasn’t it strange that he actually meant it when he apologized for that. He didn’t want to leave. He was… He was having fun…

 

But this wasn’t exactly a house boat.

 

His bones creaked a little as he stood up, having settled a little too stiffly into the position he’d held for who knew how long. “See ya back here t’morrow?”

 

\----

 

Sans nodded, much happier than most of the times that he and Red split ways. “Tomorrow. Thanks for the jokes.”

 

Sans still held the fish Red had passed to him. He carefully raised his bad arm to wave at Red, before ducking under the water and making his way over to his rock and the cave under it.

 

As he sat on the sand in the dry part of his cave, he had a small smile. As he ate, he had a small smile. The smile never left him, even as he settled down to sleep.

 

He’d made a friend.


End file.
